According to Kawartha Conservation, the Pearns Creek subwatershed starts at the intersection of Sandhills and Lorneville roads in the southwest part of the region, west of Highway 35 north. From there it stretches northeast across Glenarm Road to Pearns Road and Highway 35, where it drains into Cameron Lake. It flows northeastward to the south end of Cameron Lake, at McFarland Bay.

McLachlin said she was walking with her family on the small bridge over Pearns Creek when they made the discovery. From her best guess, there are two calf carcasses and either a deer hide or a deer dumped in the creek at the bridge.